Last month, the Armenian Handball Federation organised their annual, national U17 women’s championship featuring teams from across the country.

 

The tournament aims to continue promoting and popularising the sport across the various regions within Armenia.

 

Four teams – down from six in 2016 – took part in the 2017 edition which included Shengavit (coached by Astghik Gyurjinyan) from the Armenian capital Yerevan, Ajapnyak (Mher Merdinyan), Vanadzor (Ruzanna Harutyunyan) from the north of the country on the Georgian border, and Artsakh (Vardges Mkhitaryan).

 

With three matches in three days, the competition came thick and fast, but in the end, hosts Artsakh took the coveted title with three wins out of three, over Shengavit (26:16), Vanadzor (22:11) and Ajapnyak (30:14). Shengavit finished second with two wins, Ajapnyak took bronze with one win, while the unlucky Vanadzor finished last, having lost all three of their games.

 

Armenia on the international stage

A member of the IHF since 1992, Armenia does not currently have any professional clubs, with many players finishing the sport after their military service has been completed. Games are usually played at universities and schools. Although like many countries across the world, the sport is growing, as partnerships have been established with countries around the world, most notably France.

 

However, at an international level, last June Armenia took part in the 2nd Men’s IHF Emerging Nations Championship in Bulgaria – their second appearance in the competition which followed their participation in the debut of the tournament, in Kosovo, back in 2015.

 

A last-place finish in both tournaments highlighted the progress still to be made on the international stage for the country which is located on the borders of Europe and Asia.

 

The women’s senior team have taken part in the 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 editions of the IHF/EHF Women’s Trophy, with Vardges Mkhitaryan and Astghik Gyurjinyan – coaches of two of the teams in the national U17 championship – taking charge of the women’s team in the most recent edition, back in Georgia in March 2016.

 

The U17 women’s national side last competed in the EHF EURO 17 Championship Qualification back in March 2011, when they lost all three matches against Netherlands, Romania and Israel, while the U19s last competed at the same stage in May 2013 losing against Austria, Netherlands and Bulgaria.

 

On the men’s side, they took part in the Men’s EHF EURO 18 Preliminary Round in Bulgaria, losing all five games in their Group A campaign against Hungary, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Cyprus and Ukraine in August 2016.

 

RESULTS – 2017 Armenian Women’s U17 National Championships

 

Friday 6 October

Vanadzor vs Ajapnyak 18:33 (4:15)

Artsakh vs Shengavit 26:16 (13:8)

 

Saturday 7 October

Shengavit vs Ajapnyak 18:14 (9:6)

Vanadzor vs Artsakh 11:22 (7:9)

 

Sunday 8 October

Shengavit vs Vanadzor 29:10 (17:5) 

Ajapnyak vs Artsakh 14:30 (6:15)

 

FINAL RANKINGS

1 – Artsakh (6 points)

2 – Shengavit (4)

3 – Ajapnyak (2)

4 – Vanadzor (0)

 

For more information about the Armenian Handball Federation, visit their website at: http://www.armhandball.am

 

Photo: Artsakhpress.am